Flowers Blooming in The Church
by Alexia Torin
Summary: I have attemted to write angst. Uh oh...anyways, this is a POV from Cloud, and about how he felt when he saw Aeris' spirit in the sector 5 slums. Please R/R, so I know if I'm any good at drama. ( Yeah, right ) Thank you!


I wrote this when I was restless, at three in the morning, on a school  
night. It's kinda' weird. Oh well....R/R please!  
  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothin. Do not sue me. ^_^  
  
  
  
  
Her church. He and his two comrades were standing outside of her church. They had found themselves in the sector five slums in Midgar, continuing their search for Sephiroth. Now they were at a large church with large wooden doors. There was a hole in the roof.   
  
This is where we first met....where we first spoke to another....when she told me her name.....   
  
They were in the front of Aeris Gainsboruoghs church. Cloud Strife looked up at the stained-glass doors, remembering his first encounter with the beautiful flowergirl. He had come crashing down onto her flowerbed after helping blow up the sector 5 mako reactor. They had talked, she had been so kind to him, so sweet. He had agreed to be her bodyguard and help her escape the Turks in exchange for a date. She was so playful.  
  
Aeris....   
  
He still remebered her so clearly. Her smile, her laugh, her voice. A voice he would never hear again. He could still see her face....how supried she looked when he first landed on her flowers.....and the look of horror, but not such surprise, when she saw Sephiroths sword protruding from her chest. When Sephiroth killed her. Murdered her. He still remembred how limp her body felt when she died in his arms. The smile on her face when he had layed her to rest in the city of her people still haunted his dreams. He still saw her body falling, slowly fading away into the deep blue waters of the ancient lake. And still, he cursed himself for not being able to save her, for watching her die. For watching his true love die in front of his very eyes, and do nothing.  
  
"Cloud...."  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by another voice, that of Tifa Lockheart. Tifa was his other love, she was his childhood friend, his crush. He loved her dearly, but Aeris was different. He looked over at Tifa meeting her brown eyes with his blue. Their eyes locked and she spoke again.   
  
"Cloud....we don't have to go in. It's alright, we really don't have a reason to go in, anyway."   
  
That was just like Tifa. She didn't want him to hurt. He knew that it hurt her to think of Aeris too. They had been best friends, Tifa and Aeris, rivals only for his love. His gaze once again shifted to the church doors.   
  
"No. I'm fine, Tifa. We'll go in."  
  
He took a few strides to the door, then paused and looked over his shoulder. He saw Tifa's eyes shine and glisten with tears, and she nodded and followed him.   
  
" You coming, Red?" he asked his third companion. Red XIII looked at him.   
  
"No, this does not concern me."  
  
Cloud nodded and entered the church. He took a few steps foreward, letting the doors close behind him and Tifa. He looked around slowly. He saw he flowerbed.   
  
Aeris' flowerbed...where we....where this started...   
  
He saw the two children that Aeris had left to care for her plants. The small children were watering and weeding, they didn't even seem to notice Cloud and Tifa. Then, Cloud saw someone else. Another girl, in a pink dress, delicately sifting through the flowers. Her face was half hidden by locks of caramel brown hair. In the musty church, her large eyes seemed to glow a ghostly green.   
"Oh my God...." he heard Tifa gasp behind him. He wanted to turn around, to comfort Tifa, but he didn't dare lose sight of this girl.   
  
Aeris. It's Aeris.....   
  
He heard Tifa begin to sob.   
  
Aeris....   
  
He took a step towards the flowerbed. The girl didn't move. "Aeris?" he called out other, taking another step.   
  
Why is she here? Should should be in the Lifestream by now.....she should be with the planet....  
  
The girl didn't even look up. She just continued her work. He took another step.   
  
Why is she here? Is it even her? No, I know it's her. Aeris. But why? Is it because I couldn't save her? Is that why?  
  
He tried again. "Aeris?"   
  
Was she unable to return to the planet because of me? Because of my weakness?   
  
Still the girl continued her work.   
  
This can't be. What if it's true? What if my weakness has not only caused her to die, but to be unable to return to her people?!   
  
His thoughts were overwhelming.   
  
What if it's true?!   
  
He needed to know. He took one last step towards the girl. Towards Aeris. This time, she looked up at him.   
  
Aeris....   
  
She met his eyes, and she smiled.  
Then, like a dying candle, her image flickered and dissapeared.   
  
"NO!!" Cloud lunged foreward and reached out his hand, trying to grab onto her. But he was too late.   
  
I'm always too late.  
  
"Cloud!" Tifa ran to his side. "Cloud....."   
  
He tried to smile, but failed. Several tears ran down his pale cheek and dripped off onto the a flower.   
"I'm fine, Tifa...." he trailed off, not knowing what to say. The two children looked up at them, seeming to finally aknowledge their presence. The young girl set down her watering can.   
  
"Where's the flower lady?" she asked, looking at Cloud. He looked at Tifa and saw her eyes pricked with tears once again.   
  
Trapped here, because of me. Because I couldn't save her. Because I was weak.  
  
"She's at home" he said, looking down at the flowers. He saw his own tears laying on the petals.   
  
Liar   
  
"She's home....." 


End file.
